Queen of Ten Thousand Demons Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 44

In an instant, the clamor inside and outside the hall ceased, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

All eyes in the hall focused on the City Lord’s son-in-law, confused as to why he had suddenly ripped off the bride’s veil when the ceremony was proceeding smoothly.

“I have long heard of Palace Lord Wan of the Yaoxia Palace, and meeting you today, you truly live up to your reputation. Your killing intent is palpable,” Yan Gengshen said coldly, his gaze sharp, even as he held Dong Qinglan’s life point hostage.

Wan Xuan’er watched Yan Gengshen with cold eyes: “You evil creature, how dare you act wildly on my Yaoxia Palace’s territory.”

“Palace Lord Wan is mistaken. Today is clearly a joyous occasion for Qinglan and me. Instead of bringing a small gift to aid our new marriage, the Palace Lord brings so many disciples to set up an array at my wedding banquet. What is your intention?”

Dong Qinglan, immobilized by his grasp on her life point, feared Wan Xuan’er would disregard her safety and shouted: “Yan Gengshen! Palace Lord Wan is here! Do you really think you can still escape? I advise you to kneel, kowtow, and quickly beg Palace Lord Wan for mercy.”

When the crowd heard Dong Qinglan utter the name “Yan Gengshen,” they were immediately terrified, cries of alarm erupted, and guests fled frantically outside.

Only one woman was different. While others fled for their lives, she pushed past the crowd, running against the tide toward the hall.

Lu Xiaoxiao, having heard the commotion inside, had anticipated this and tried to intercept Zhou Qian’er, but the woman, fueled by an unknown surge of strength, shook off Lu Xiaoxiao’s hand and plunged into the crowd.

Yan Gengshen scoffed: “It’s not unusual for people from the Yaoxia Palace to attend your wedding, but it is strange that their positions are scattered. Who would believe they are not here to set up an array to capture me?!”

He tightened his grip on Dong Qinglan’s life point even further, almost crushing her wrist.

“Speak quickly, where is Lu Xiaoxiao? Has she arrived yet?”

Dong Qinglan’s face instantly turned pale, fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her lips trembled slightly. Yet, she clenched her jaw, refusing to utter a sound.

Zhou Qian’er saw this scene as soon as she entered the hall, and her heart twisted: “Please let her go! Take me instead!”

A smile tugged at the corner of Yan Gengshen’s mouth: “So, you are Lu Xiaoxiao, are you? It is possible to let her go. As long as…”

—You hand over the teleportation array key.

Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Dong Qinglan’s shriek.

“No! She is not Lu Xiaoxiao.”

Yan Gengshen scratched his ear with his free hand: “If she isn’t, why are you yelling? Didn’t you say you and Lu Xiaoxiao were deeply in love and inseparable? If she isn’t Lu Xiaoxiao, then who is?”

Wan Xuan’er, watching the farce, was already impatient to quickly finish off Yan Gengshen. But with Dong Qinglan in his hands, she couldn’t find an opportunity to strike.

As for Lu Xiaoxiao herself, she had been peeking around the door frame, watching the excitement inside.

After observing for a while, she realized the standoff was deadlocked. She casually tore off the jade pendant hanging from Tantai Jing’s waist, removed her mask, and walked into the room.

“I am Lu Xiaoxiao. I heard someone was looking for me.”

Yan Gengshen’s patience had long worn thin. He tightly squeezed Dong Qinglan’s neck and asked, “Is it her?”

Dong Qinglan, her face flushed and unable to breathe from his chokehold, managed to nod with great effort, standing on her tiptoes.

“I told you, but you didn’t believe me. You must be that wretched snake. The item you want is in my hands. Let Dong Qinglan go, and I’ll give it to you.”

Yan Gengshen squeezed Dong Qinglan’s neck harder: “You give me the teleportation array key, and I’ll let her go.”

“Why are you so slow? Take it or leave it. Dong Qinglan has nothing to do with me. She’s tried to frame me repeatedly. It’s already benevolent of me to use her item to save her. Threatening me with her is useless nonsense.” Lu Xiaoxiao said impatiently.

Yan Gengshen frowned deeply, unable to discern the truth from the lies.

Lu Xiaoxiao seized the moment of his confusion, picked up the jade pendant in her hand, and tossed it toward Wan Xuan’er: “Aunt Wan! Since Yan Gengshen doesn’t want it, I’ll give it to you instead.”

Yan Gengshen had gone through immense effort to obtain the teleportation array key. If it fell into Wan Xuan’er’s hands now, all his efforts would be in vain.

He released the suffocating Dong Qinglan, gathered strength, and struck a palm toward Wan Xuan’er to stop her from taking the pendant.

At the same time, his body moved, instantly teleporting to the jade pendant’s location.

Just as the pendant was about to fall into his palm, Elder Ban Cheng’s sword arrived right behind it, nearly piercing his arm. Yan Gengshen paused, quickly withdrawing his hand.

If he were to catch the key now, he would lose that arm.

“Yaoxia Palace disciples! Form the array!”

Wan Xuan’er caught Dong Qinglan and quickly handed her over to Zhou Qian’er, then joined Ban Cheng in restraining Yan Gengshen.

The Yaoxia Palace disciples swiftly scattered, taking their positions corresponding to the Ten Directions Demon Execution Array. The eighteen disciples uniformly drew their long swords and plunged them into the ground, rapidly chanting incantations that echoed throughout the space shrouded by the ancient formation.

Ban Cheng and Wan Xuan’er stood firm at the center of the array, working together to suppress Yan Gengshen, ensuring he could not escape before the formation was complete.

The solemn incantations rose and fell, like celestial music or an inspiring battle hymn. As the chanting gradually faded, the Ten Directions Demon Execution Array suddenly burst into dazzling light, forming an indestructible barrier that tightly trapped Yan Gengshen.

Even Tantai Jing, who had joined the array holding a sword at some unknown point, fixed her gaze on the battle unfolding in the center.

Now that the formation was complete, Lu Xiaoxiao turned to the scene. Ban Cheng and Wan Xuan’er moved almost simultaneously, like two gusts of wind, rushing toward Yan Gengshen. Ban Cheng’s Qianyun Sword (Cloud-Dry Sword) swept out, bringing a fierce wind, striking directly at Yan Gengshen’s vital point. Wan Xuan’er, with an uncanny movement, moved amidst Ban Cheng’s sword shadows. Her Hanyuan Sword (Cold Abyss Sword) darted like a spiritual snake, searching for Yan Gengshen’s opening.

Yan Gengshen snorted coldly, his body instantly transforming into a black shadow, easily evading the combined attack. When he reappeared, he was behind Wan Xuan’er. He waved both hands, and the surrounding spiritual energy seemed to solidify, furiously pouring toward Wan Xuan’er’s left hand.

But Wan Xuan’er seemed to have anticipated this. In the moment of crisis, she retreated, bent down at the waist, and the Hanyuan Sword returned from the front, striking toward Yan Gengshen’s left hand. Yan Gengshen forcibly withdrew his spiritual energy and twisted his body to dodge, but the Hanyuan Sword still grazed the side of his wedding robe. Although he was not injured, the large red flower ball on his chest was instantly severed and flung several meters away by the Hanyuan Sword.

Yan Gengshen was furious. This trip to Dongchang City had failed to secure the teleportation array key, and now he was ambushed by the Yaoxia Palace.

He stomped his foot down fiercely. His originally bright and festive red wedding robe instantly couldn’t withstand the impact of the ferocious spiritual power and burst open. The fragments of cloth scattered across the air like falling blood rain. Amidst the flying fragments, he was revealed wearing a set of black, finely patterned casual clothes underneath.

Next, he mercilessly bit his tongue. As his tongue was broken, a mouthful of vital blood spurted out, yet he didn’t even flinch, only a vicious smile curled on his lips.

Wan Xuan’er held the Hanyuan Sword, her white dress suspended above the Ten Directions Demon Execution Array. Seeing Yan Gengshen’s action, she thought: This is bad. These demons are masters of sinister forbidden techniques. Yan Gengshen’s cultivation has just increased another level.

Although Wan Xuan’er knew the power boost from Yan Gengshen’s self-harming technique wouldn’t last long, his inherent strength was still not to be underestimated.

“Yaoxia Palace disciples, heed my command! Concentrate all your spiritual energy into the array! You must not let this evil creature leave the Ten Directions Demon Execution Array.”

Following Wan Xuan’er’s command, all the disciples exerted themselves, pouring spiritual energy into the formation. The Ten Directions Demon Execution Array instantly shone with greater blue light.

Lu Xiaoxiao watched the interplay of sword light and black shadows in the arena. Every collision was accompanied by a deafening roar. Yan Gengshen must have used some evil technique. Now, the sky had changed color, dark clouds obscured the sun, and fierce, malicious gusts of wind whipped at everyone’s clothes. If their swords hadn’t been firmly driven into the ground, they would have been blown away to who knows where.

She worriedly looked toward Tantai Jing and Wan Qingyi. The two were still struggling to maintain the formation.

But as long as Wan Xuan’er and Ban Cheng could hold out until Yan Gengshen’s secret technique ended, they should be fine.

“No good!” Lu Wanbai, who did not understand the Yaoxia Palace array, suddenly shouted in horror next to Lu Xiaoxiao.

Lu Xiaoxiao followed her gaze.

Yan Gengshen in the arena had undergone a shocking transformation.

His body gradually elongated and expanded. Countless rock-like structures seemed to surge beneath his skin until he completely transformed into an enormously massive black giant snake. This giant snake was covered in uneven, rocky patterns, shimmering with a dark luster. Its vertical pupils suddenly narrowed, and it opened its massive, blood-red mouth, lunging directly at Wan Xuan’er.

Even more astonishingly, hundreds of smaller poisonous snakes were concealed in the smoke swirling around the black giant snake’s enormous body. These snakes were agile, brightly colored, yet exuded deadly venom. As the smoke expanded, they silently darted like phantoms, slowly creeping toward the Yaoxia Palace disciples surrounding the array.

As these small poisonous snakes approached, the faces of the Yaoxia Palace disciples showed terror, and the formation was on the verge of collapsing.

Lu Xiaoxiao hurriedly shouted: “Who has realgar wine or realgar powder? Bring it out quickly!”

Dong Qinglan, standing nearby, quickly found a jar of realgar wine from the cellar. Lu Xiaoxiao took the realgar wine and sprinkled it in a circle around the disciples in the array, finally warding off the poisonous snakes’ attack.

Lu Xiaoxiao finally walked over to Tantai Jing, poured a large circle of the remaining realgar wine around her, and left her Chaoyuan Sword there to protect her.

“Are you alright? Are you injured?”

“I’m fine. It’s too dangerous here. You should leave quickly.”

Lu Xiaoxiao insisted: “No, I’m staying here to protect you.”

She had just seen that Yan Gengshen’s attack and defense power had surged dramatically after transforming into a snake. While he had initially been weaker than Aunt Wan, he now clearly surpassed her by a large margin, almost seeming to suppress both Ban Cheng and Wan Xuan’er.

Yan Gengshen in the center of the arena suddenly burst into loud laughter.

Lu Xiaoxiao looked up and saw a small yellow-spotted snake carrying the jade pendant Lu Xiaoxiao had thrown earlier, delivering it to Yan Gengshen’s hand.

Everyone else was confused, wondering why Yan Gengshen would suddenly laugh so loudly in such a perilous and tense atmosphere, especially when his laughter contained an undisguised sense of triumph and mockery.

However, Wan Xuan’er caught an unusual piece of information from the laugh. Her eyes instantly sharpened, and she realized the truth—the teleportation array key of Dongchang City held a secret power unknown to most.

This secret was known only to a very few core people: as long as one held the teleportation array key within the borders of Dongchang City, the holder could travel anywhere in the city at will, without needing to chant complicated incantations.

Wan Xuan’er knew the situation was critical and she couldn’t let Yan Gengshen’s conspiracy succeed. She shouted loudly: “Elder Ban!”

Ban Cheng’s expression instantly became serious. Without a moment’s hesitation, he channeled all his spiritual energy into the Qianyun Sword. The artifact, infused with spiritual power, burst into dazzling light, as if intending to tear through space and strike directly at Yan Gengshen.

On the other side, a small, exquisite pagoda abruptly appeared in Wan Xuan’er’s palm. The pagoda emanated a faint golden light, and its body was carved with intricate runes and patterns.

That… was actually the Demon Locking Tower!

Everyone was shocked, having never expected Wan Xuan’er to bring the Demon Locking Tower with her this time.

As Wan Xuan’er’s incantation reached its climax, the Demon Locking Tower suddenly grew massive, shining with brilliant golden light. It spun once in the air, and then, with the force of Mount Tai pressing down, it descended with a blinding golden glow, smashing forcefully toward Yan Gengshen.

Tantai Jing, seeing the Demon Locking Tower appear, was thrown into utter chaos. She didn’t know whether she should go up and help Yan Gengshen at this moment, nor did she know what chance she would have if she did.

In her distraction, her grip on the sword—the eye of the Ten Directions Demon Execution Array—loosened slightly.

Yan Gengshen’s face instantly changed. His snake-transformed body let out a roar.

“Lu Xiaoxiao! I will kill you.”

Yan Gengshen, trying to activate the jade pendant, discovered that the item he had risked his life to steal was not the teleportation array key at all, but just an ordinary decorative jade pendant.

At this moment, he wanted to cut Lu Xiaoxiao into a thousand pieces.

The Qianyun Sword was already close at hand. In this split second, his figure flickered like a ghost, twisting at an impossible angle, narrowly avoiding Ban Cheng’s killing blow, which was infused with all his spiritual energy.

The Qianyun Sword, carrying the sound of howling wind, brushed past his clothing and finally struck a building not far away, causing shattered stone and rising smoke.

However, though Yan Gengshen dodged Ban Cheng’s attack, he had not anticipated that Wan Xuan’er’s Demon Locking Tower would strike with even greater swiftness. The Demon Locking Tower traced a golden arc through the air; its speed and power were astonishing.

Yan Gengshen had just stabilized himself and had no time to react when he felt an irresistible enormous force descending from the sky. Immediately after, the colossal body of the Demon Locking Tower heavily struck him.

“Boom!” A loud crash shook the surrounding space. The golden light of the Demon Locking Tower instantly enveloped Yan Gengshen entirely. Runes flowed across the tower’s body, as if endless sealing power was surging, intent on completely suppressing him.

Yan Gengshen felt a massive pressure surge from all directions. The spiritual energy in his body felt suppressed by this force, making it difficult to exert.

In that moment of extreme danger, the poisonous snakes that had been forced to retreat by the realgar wine and were curled outside the circle suddenly disregarded the daunting power of the realgar wine, raising their heads and rushing toward the disciples.

The snakes’ attack was swift and precise. The venom rapidly spread through the disciples’ bodies, bringing intense pain and rapidly failing life force. Some disciples, under the invasion of the venom, began to convulse, their eyes filled with despair and unwillingness.

Seeing this, the disciples’ faces changed drastically, and the scene instantly became chaotic. The barrier of the Ten Directions Demon Execution Array seemed to waver, on the verge of breaking.

“Be careful!” An elderly disciple shouted loudly, trying to stabilize the situation, but his voice was quickly swallowed by the rising cries of alarm.

At this moment, Yan Gengshen beneath the Demon Locking Tower suddenly erupted with unprecedented spiritual power, shaking the surrounding space and allowing him to break free from the tower.

With the breaking of the Demon Locking Tower’s prohibition, Yan Gengshen’s figure, transformed into human form, shot out like lightning, breaking through the Ten Directions Demon Execution Array.

The direction of his breakout was precisely where Tantai Jing was positioned.

Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly felt a force push her aside, while Tantai Jing, who remained in her spot, drew her long sword, preparing to meet the incoming Yan Gengshen.

Lu Xiaoxiao knew that Tantai Jing, using the Hidden Trace Bead, had a cultivation level similar to her own, and might even be inferior to Lu Xiaoxiao with her Chaoyuan Sword. She absolutely could not expose herself at this moment, otherwise, she had no idea when she could save Fu Zhao.

Thinking this, Lu Xiaoxiao quickly adjusted her breathing, forcefully suppressed the panic in her heart, and controlled her backward momentum. Her toes lightly tapped the ground, and she suddenly sprang forward, leaping past the prepared Tantai Jing, directly confronting the howling Yan Gengshen.

In a flash of lightning, Lu Xiaoxiao gripped the Chaoyuan Sword with both hands, then forcefully exerted herself, striking with all her might toward the rapidly approaching Yan Gengshen.

In that life-or-death crisis, the Chaoyuan Sword seemed to be awakened by some mysterious force. The light on its blade suddenly intensified, transforming into a dazzling white light that instantly devoured all of Lu Xiaoxiao’s spiritual power, just like the previous time inside the mountain belly at Wule Temple.

Tantai Jing saw Lu Xiaoxiao leap past her without hesitation, confronting Yan Gengshen alone with her sword. In that moment, her heart felt as if it were tightly squeezed by an invisible hand, and a wave of intense fear and unease surged over her.

“No!!!”

Tantai Jing finally couldn’t hold back, shouting with all her might. Her voice carried a mournful despair.

Success!

As the Chaoyuan Sword struck with thunderous force, severing Yan Gengshen’s right arm, an indescribable joy surged in Lu Xiaoxiao’s heart.

She believed that Yan Gengshen, having lost his right arm, would be severely weakened and would choose to flee in panic. This would also prevent him from posing a threat to Tantai Jing along the way.

However, just as Lu Xiaoxiao was immersed in the joy of victory and prepared to take a breath, the sight before her instantly brought her to full alert.

Yan Gengshen’s arm, severed by the Chaoyuan Sword, did not fall to the ground, dripping with blood, as she had expected. Instead, it twisted bizarrely, transforming into a hideous, terrifying poisonous snake that lunged fiercely at her neck.

The sight was too sudden. Lu Xiaoxiao didn’t even have time to react, only watching helplessly as the poisonous snake opened its massive, blood-red mouth, revealing its sharp fangs, and bit down on her vulnerable neck.

A fierce, sudden stinging pain erupted at her neck. Stripped of spiritual energy, her body became unusually heavy, and she could no longer maintain her balance, beginning to fall.

As her consciousness gradually blurred, her vision began to scatter.

At the edge of consciousness, she saw Tantai Jing’s terrified and anxious face, saw her desperately rushing toward her.